Click on the links below to view each of the emergency orders issued by the Supreme Court of Texas in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Added Nov. 11, 2020:
The 29th Emergency Order extends a previous court order outlining limitations on jury trials to February 1 from December 1. The order requires courts to continue using all reasonable efforts to hold proceedings remotely and to follow the OCA’s Guidance for all Court Proceedings.

Added Nov. 9, 2020:
In The Twenty-Eighth Emergency Order  the court extended deadlines for procedures for tenants to apply for the Texas Eviction Diversion Program, a statewide assistance program intended to help tenants behind on rent avoid evictions. Learn more about the Texas Eviction Diversion Program at txcourts.gov/eviction-diversion. The State Bar has collected additional tenant/landlord resources to assist Texas lawyers and members of the public at texasbar.com/renterinfo.

Added Sept. 28, 2020:

The Twenty-Seventh Emergency Order establishes new procedures for tenants and landlords under a statewide housing-assistance program intended to avoid evictions for tenants behind on rent.

Added Sept. 18, 2020:
The Twenty-Sixth Emergency Order extends restrictions on in-person jury proceedings to December 1

Added Sept. 1, 2020:
The Office of Court Administration has issued its report, entitled Jury Trials During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observations and Recommendations. The report details the actions of the Texas Judiciary during the pandemic and observations from the twenty jury trials that have been conducted under the Court’s Emergency Orders.

Once the Supreme Court reviews the recommendations, it is anticipated that the Court will issue a new emergency order guiding the return of jury trial proceedings when the current emergency order suspending jury trial proceedings expires.

Added Aug. 21,2020:
The Twenty-Fourth Emergency Order that renews, as amended, the requirements of the Twentieth Emergency Order for certain statements in residential evictions proceeding pleadings.

Added Aug. 8, 2020:
Twenty-Third Emergency Order extending the deadline for payment of State Bar membership fees to October 31

Added Aug.6, 2020:
Twenty-second Emergency Order   renews, as amended, paragraphs 3-10 and 12-13 of the 18^th Emergency Order (which was set to expire August 31).
These two new amended orders are regarding jury trial delays and statute of limitations. (will expire Sept. 30, 2020, unless amended.)

Added July 31, 2020:
Twenty-first Emergency Order extends until September 15, 2020 any deadline for the filing or service of any civil case that falls on a day between
March 13, 2020, and September 1, 2020.  As with previous orders, the extensions do not include deadlines for perfecting appeal or for other appellate proceedings.

Added July 6, 2020:
Nineteenth Emergency Order cancels the July bar exam and outlines steps to ensure that the bar examination can proceed and that applicants have a safe and successful experience.

Added June 30,2020:
Eighteen Emergency Order amended existing provisions from the previous emergency May 26 order.  CLICK HERE for the practical guide to the Supreme Court of Texas’s 18th Emergency Order.

Added May 27, 2020:
Seventeenth Emergency Order  amended existing provisions from the omnibus emergency April 27 order.

Added May 15,2020:
Sixteenth Emergency Order addresses garnishment in consumer-debt collections
Fifteenth Emergency Order permits residential-evictions to proceed

Added April 29, 2020
Fourteen Emergency Order   amends and extends the 10th Emergency Order regarding the collection of consumer debt.
Thirteenth Emergency Order allows those registered for the July Bar Exam to withdraw and register for a future exam and directs the Board of Law Examiners to consider additional changes if the July Bar Exam cannot be held due to COVID-19.

Added April 27, 2020:
Twelfth Emergency Order has updated and clarified many of its emergency orders addressing Texas courts’ pandemic issues.

Added April 23,2020:
April 23 order 20-0291 In re Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, and Ken Paxton, Attorney General
Mandamus petition from Travis County
MANDAMUS RELIEF GRANTED, per curiam opinion
Opinion
Briefs

Added April 9, 2020
Eleventh Emergency Order expands all deadlines related to the Judicial Branch Certification Commission until May 31, 2020.

Tenth Emergency Order has delayed service for garnishment writs to collect consumer debt under Texas Finance Code Section 392.001(2) before May 8.

Added April 6, 2020
Ninth Emergency Order extends the fourth emergency order and extends evictions deadline to April 30.

Added April 1, 2020
Eighth Emergency Order delays limitations in civil cases from March 13 until June 1, subject to extension

Added March 27, 2020:
Fifth Emergency Order delaying all deadlines in attorney professional-disciplinary and disability proceedings until May 8.

Sixth Emergency Order ordering certain State Bar elections only by electronic balloting.

Seventh Emergency Order  existing court orders in child-possession cases shall control “in all instances” to determine rights to and access to children, regardless of so-called shelter-in-place mandates or other restriction on movement

Added March 13, 2020:
First Emergency Order  (jointly issued with the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals): clears the way for video- and teleconference proceedings and to postpone certain deadlines affecting cases.

Second Emergency Order orders that child-custody schedules following school calendars shall follow the original school schedule as published despite school closings.

Third Emergency Order (amending the first emergency and jointly issued with the Court of Criminal Appeals): establishes court proceedings may be conducted “away from the court’s usual location with reasonable notice and access to the participants and the public,” eliminating the venue limitation to allow a judge assigned to an involuntary-quarantine challenge to preside from afar.

Fourth Emergency Order  addressing hearings, trials and other proceedings and deadlines for residential-property evictions.